


nodus tollens

by orphan_account



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fallen Angels, Gen, Sasuke is bitter, there's snakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 09:16:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16037474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: nodus tollens - the realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore.





	nodus tollens

**Author's Note:**

> just a little something i've had in my drafts. this was going to be a chapter fic but i scraped it

**_prologue._ **

 

_ To love is a sin. To love is a treason against the divine society, carefully constructed in a way to shred the very little freedom angels have.  _

_ Sasuke did the closest thing to love he could ever do; after all, love is something only humans are capable of doing, and he is no human. A heretic in his own hierarchy, Sasuke did the impossible. Instead of showing the indifference that his fellow angels did, he would get very involved in the life of one particular human. _

_ For the time it lasted, Sasuke questioned if it was worth it. He showered this human in blessings, riches, safety… and yet, the human never found out about his existence as his own person. They only worshipped and thanked the heavens. Worshipped an entity. There was no love from them— love is human, Sasuke reminded himself. Being worshipped is something he took to heart anyway. _

_ But it was just a matter of time until the Council found out. Armed to the teeth in their celestial glory, the golden chains had finally caught Sasuke, the weight of his sins heaving on his wrists and ankles as they dragged him to the court. _

_ When the trial had begun, Sasuke had no chance. He stood with his wings tucked to his back, on his knees, but his chin had been up high as he looked at his judge. An angel so powerful that he couldn’t even govern the Earth because it wasn’t worthy of him; a near-seraphlike. Like the snow that clung to the ground during the harsh winter, he was beautiful. Rich, golden hair splayed everywhere, doe eyed with a strong form of a body. But he was cold. Unmoving. Just like the rest of them. _

_ The Judge, he calls him, had ruled him guilty— guilty for being biased. Guilty for such treachery. Sasuke, being so far gone, had wept when everyone knew angels couldn’t; he wept and pleaded for his forgiveness. He didn’t know which hurt more; the fact that the court remained silent or that the witnesses, who were seated in rows by the hundreds, did not bother to turn away or bat a single eye as they watched him suffer. _

_ Right there in front of them all, they humiliated him. With their powerful, holy weapons meant to purify, he had been whipped mercilessly. He couldn’t even count the amount of times they had hit him, the marks scorched his raw skin. But the worst of it came after; with no warning, they had grabbed onto his wings, beginning to pull them out. The sound of bone cracking and Sasuke’s cries had filled the courtroom, but there was no sympathy. Golden blood spilled out onto the pristine floors—  _ I’m still innocent _ , he thought then. The feathers of the wings he was once so, so proud of turn to ash, rendering him with nothing. _

_ The Judge had gotten up from the throne, had walked over to Sasuke with his own wings spread out beautifully. His hands were glowing, and the last of the punishment had come. As the judge stared at him with great scorn, Sasuke could only think of one thing. _

_ Hatred. _

_ Hatred for his position. Hatred for everyone in the courtroom. Hatred for everyone in heaven, angel or not. The damnation that rose within him had overridden any sense of morality he had made for himself; the sudden urge to kill this judge. It plagued his mind in those last moments as the other angel had put his hand on Sasuke’s sweaty forehead, and he stared back at him with just as much contempt. _

_ He made his last vow. The vow to meet him again. The vow to end him just as he did to him. The world had faded to black, his consciousness slipped into a painful void. _

 

♠︎

 

**_a millenia later._ **

 

Time passes rather quickly. The concept of it still confuses Sasuke; how humans decided to construct a concept to keep themselves in check. It’s not real, but it runs the world. Somehow.

With time, there’s a big side effect of immortality. Just as an old person barely remembers what they did at age 17, Sasuke doesn’t really remember much of his life. He knows he’s fought in wars, but doesn’t know for which side. He knows that he’s been with friends and the closest thing to lovers, but he can’t remember their names, who they were, how he met them. Memories are distant to Sasuke.

Except for the memory of that day. Even after all these years, his skin crawls at the thought, making him nauseous and bringing him headaches. The long, disgusting slits on his back throb, the feeling very alike to that of ghost limbs. The grudge still stands; his heart tainted in black.

And he’s put two and two together. That memory, that vow, brought him to what he is today. He’s become the antithesis of his old life; a demon. The price to pay took a toll on him-- after all, selling your soul isn’t like giving a few won as a tip--, but there was no other choice. It was either staying powerless and having no chance to defeat the seraph or being strong enough to drive him into the ground.

He still has a place in this world, though. Through the years and many, many identities later, he’s managed to grow an empire, scattered across the globe. He practically owns everything there is; restaurants, clothing stores, hospitals, skyscrapers. Everything you can imagine. Many people stare and whisper when he walks the streets of Tokyo, and he can say he doesn’t mind the attention.

Sasuke can also say he’s not exactly alone. When he signed the contract to become a demonic entity,  _ It  _ had decided to give him a ‘gift’. Snakes; his guardians in a sense. It said that they would watch over him, report back to It if Sasuke happened to step out of line somehow.

Right now, the massive snakes that are just as big as he is are hanging over the couch he’s lounging on. He doesn’t really know what to name them. They hiss lowly as the ends of the bodies curl, their words flowing right into his ear.

**_What are you going to do today?_ **

Sasuke thinks, his fingers submerged in a bowl of cheeseballs. He doesn’t really like them. “I was planning on going out today. It’s been a bit since I’ve had some fresh air.”

One of the snakes gives a harsh hiss disapprovingly, leaning close to his face. His brows furrow in slight annoyance, moving to sit up from his position.

**_Have you forgotten your goal, Sasuke?_ **

“I _am_ working on finding him, you prick.” He retorts. “But do you know how hard it is? I don’t even know where the fuck he is, and I can’t afford to circle the entire fucking globe. Have you forgotten that I run an enterprise?” Another sound. “You and I both know that angels can escape Hell’s radar.”

A sound much like a grunt is in Sasuke’s head, the snake moving away from him as he huffs. It’s always a daily struggle with them; the two snakes always pester him, urging him to hurry up in finding the Judge. It can lead to arguments to flat out snake bites (and let him tell you, he has enough of them). The other snake, though, falls off the top off the couch and lands on him instead, tail end messing with his choker. Yet another way to restrict him; to keep him disguised as a human.

The bell out of his door rings, piquing his curiosity as Sasuke turns to the door. He doesn’t recall expecting any company, and he holds out his wrists to his snakes.

“Come on now.” Sasuke says. Although they seem begrudged to do so, they follow the routine, wrapping themselves around his wrists and transforming to beautiful golden coiled bracelets, adorned in many gems. He then swings his legs off the side of the couch, running a hand through his raven hair and smoothing out his satin nightgown as he walks towards the door, opening it.

Itachi. His oh so personal assistant. Probably the closest thing he has to family in this day and age— he’s not related to him at all, but they definitely have a different dynamic than anyone else. He makes him feel less jaded, less sad. Not to mention they look so much alike that they might as well pass for actual brothers. The younger man (after all, Sasuke has many, many years on him, but he doesn’t know that) looks him over before perking up his top lip.

“Mind if I come in?” Itachi asks, and Sasuke can tell from his voice alone that that means trouble. He purses his lips, leaning against the door frame.

“That depends.” Sasuke says. “Are you going to yell at me?”

“I believe not. My throat is aching a bit from the conference.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

He promised. Sasuke, after a minute, steps aside, letting Itachi in before closing the door. But again, he commits a mistake.

“ _ Uchiha Sasuke. _ ” Itachi says, hard and commanding as the man crossed his arms. Sasuke can’t help but mentally curse, teeth clenching. “What are you doing.”

“Calm down. You’re scaring the baby.” Sasuke says. “And by baby, I absolutely mean myself.”

Itachi rolls his eyes with a huff and knit brows, staring him down. And to be honest, Sasuke can’t help but think he’s a bit goofy looking when he’s angry.

“Do you know what time it is? It’s past 1 P.M.” Itachi graciously informs him, a hand coming out to motion at Sasuke’s figure, which is kind of rude in his opinion. “Look at you. You’re not even dressed.”

“I’m at least in a robe.” Sasuke says, appreciating his own remark and the sheer reaction of Itachi’s nostrils flaring, even just a bit.

“Have you even read the files I sent you? You know, the urgent ones to view?”

“... Ah.”

Sasuke can tell that Itachi is trying to hold himself back from clenching his nose bridge. “Unbelievable. You truly are the younger brother.”

Sasuke huffs. Itachi always had a tendency to be mean, especially when it comes to business matters. Which is valid, he guesses. “I’m bound to forget a few things with my age.”

Itachi sighs, shaking his head. “What am I going to do with you?”

“I’ll look at them right now, Ita-chan,” Sasuke says, waving a dismissive hand. It’s a lie, but if it gets Itachi to at least back off a bit, he’ll say whatever the fuck he needs to. “Don’t worry. Is that the only thing you came to tell me about?”

The younger gives another sigh through his nose. “I came to remind you that you have to attend an interview for a personal assistant this Friday. Surely you knew that.”

Sasuke takes a moment to process the information, feeling confused. A personal assistant? An interview? What the fresh hell? How didn’t he know about this?

“I thought you were my personal assistant.” Sasuke says, making the most disgusted face he can. “What, are you quitting or something? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Itachi, obviously being ticked off, opens his mouth. He have some amazing self control, Sasuke thinks. Truly a worthy human.

“I’m not your personal assistant, otouto.” Itachi says, speech drawing out. “I’m your  _ business manager. _ The man who handles your enterprise?”

Sasuke gasps, dramatic for someone like him. “I handle my own enterprise, thank you very much.”

“You literally just attended five interviews this month.”

“That counts as work.”

“But I’m the one who organized them.”

“... Fair enough.” Sasuke says. Defeated by a human. It’s the life he lives. “But why do I need a personal assistant? I’m fine on my own.”

“I just think it’ll be good for you.” Itachi says. “Having a protector and companion on speed dial. Someone who makes sure you’re in check. It’s very beneficial for an airhead like you.”

_ Yeah, well, my snakes do that for me, _ Sasuke thinks.

“And you didn’t inform me of this earlier because?” Sasuke questions, hiking up a brow.

“I sent you an email.”

“... Oh.”

“See? This is why you need a personal assistant.” Itachi says. “Don’t worry. I got a good feeling about this one.”

Sasuke’s lips go into a thin line. Good feeling his ass. Believe it or not, it takes a bit of time to get on his good side; a defense mechanism. Itachi checks his watch, eyes unblinking.

“That’s all I have to say for now. Business.” Itachi says, already walking backwards towards the door. “Don’t forget to get dressed. You still need to do a round check up later.”

“Fine.” Sasuke says, a bit annoyed himself. “Enjoy being a business manager or whatever.”

For the first time during the talk, Itachi lets out a small chuckle, opening up the door.

“Will do,” He says. “Later.”

And with that, he’s gone, leaving Sasuke to his own devices. He ends up letting out a heavy sigh, dropping dead weight onto the couch as he tilts his head back. The snakes around his wrists finally shift back to their original form, their jaws snapping.

“Why couldn’t I just be a waiter?”

 

♠︎

 

He couldn’t concentrate for shit. 

Today’s outfit is rather casual. He’s wearing a deep red velvet turtle neck, high waisted suit pants, and heeled oxfords. Perfect for semi-fall weather, he thinks.

Even with a shower and fresh new clothes on his body, he couldn’t bring himself to focus, the desktop flashing the screensaver multiple times from how idle he was.

So instead of keeping himself inside to become a slave for working, Sasuke decided to do something different; to work in the local cafe in hopes that the environment can actually do something for him.

Seated at the booth and a cappuccino beside his laptop, Sasuke scrolls through the files, lips curled. He’s decent with his work pace; he’s responded to, like, ten emails out of the hundreds.

_ This is so annoying, _ he thinks. He’s never been much of a worker, besides those wars he fought in and that junk. Again, why didn’t he become a waiter? And how does Itachi manage to do this on a daily basis? He should get a raise.

**_See, if you had done your work earlier, this wouldn’t have happened,_ ** one of the snakes say, making Sasuke roll his eyes.

**Shut up,** he says. Or, rather, thinks; telepathy is a great thing. Otherwise, he’d look nuts talking to bracelets.  **I’ll learn my lesson. Someday.**

**_If it helps you keep afloat in Hell’s River._ ** The other snake says. Really, how many times can Sasuke roll his eyes before they get stuck or something?

After thirty minutes of working, he decides he’s had enough of the labor, stretching out. Closing his laptop momentarily, he lets himself enjoy his drink, simply taking in the atmosphere. It’s always so refreshing, going out alone and not being surrounded by guards or people who want to get in his face. He doesn’t understand why he doesn’t go outside more often, especially on such a lovely day.

That is, until a feeling slowly creeps up on him.

It’s slow, but strong. His heart begins to feel heavy, breathing faltering. Is he having a heart attack? No, he doesn’t think so. The feeling is almost identical to that of an oncoming panic attack; and hell knows he’s had many, many of those.

Not wanting to let himself blow over in public, he slowly closes his laptop, putting it inside his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. Calmly but hastily, he exits the coffee shop, hoping to not cause suspicion even with his heavy steps.

The air he breathes is cold, a bit dry. A perfect balance to ground him. And usually, it would work; just enough to keep his senses. But this time, it seems to make him even more achy over.

“What the hell…” Sasuke whispers to himself as he walks down the path back to his penthouse. What could be causing this? He doesn’t feel nervous, so much as he feels a certain pain. Is it emotional?

Absorbed in his own thoughts, he doesn’t notice the slightly elevated crack from the sidewalk. The tip of his shoe hits it, eyes widening as he falls forward. It all happens in slow motion, yet so quickly, confusing him. He blinks for just a moment, ready to land on his palms.

That is, until he hits something else. Something sturdy. A person, to be exact.

“Oof!” They say, stumbling back a bit. Sasuke instinctively takes ahold of their biceps, breathing out. “You okay, sir?”

“Ah, yeah,” Sasuke says, managing a sloppy smile as he pulls back, adjusting his feet so that they’re on the same level before looking up. “Thank you for—“

His throat tightens.

Standing in front of him, with his arms around him, is a man.

Rich, golden hair splayed doe eyed with a strong form of a body. There’s no mistake; it’s him.

The Judge.

Sasuke immediately steps back, out of his hold. As if he’d just been burned— and he practically has been. To think, of all the things the universe could do, it pulled the most fucking cliché trope on the fucking planet.

The sky is clear. But there’s a storm brewing inside of him.

And the angel looks at him, as if he’s genuinely concerned. His eyes, unlike back then, are soft and wide.

“Sir? Are you okay?” He asks.

Sasuke feels his hands trembling. He wants nothing more than to reach out, to immediately wrap around the other man’s neck and wring it like a towel. And yet, he doesn’t move; he  _ can’t _ move.

“I’m… fine…” He says slowly, still shellshocked. “I… I’ve got to go,”

Pushing the man aside, he walks away as quickly as possible, ignoring the angel’s calls. He can hear the protests in his head, but he only keeps moving, dashing around a corner and pressing his back against the concerte.

For the first time in a millenia, he saw him.

The Judge.

 

♠︎

 

 

Hues of dark purple devour the once vibrant sunset, the temperature dropping. But Sasuke feels even colder; the thick, black tar in his veins feel like ice, pricking his skin from the inside.

Once he returns to his penthouse, he gets a lecture from Itachi, in the form of an email (why doesn’t he text? How old fashioned can he be?). Something about Sasuke being absent and how he had ‘forgotten to check up on the other staff’. At this moment, though, he doesn’t care very much.

Sasuke’s had about ten bottles of alcohol at this point, all taken raw. He looks as much as he feels: like a total mess. His brain is muddled, robe slipping off his shoulders because he doesn’t bother to fix them accordingly. His choker rests on the marble table, his scales and horns on full display.

**_How could you let him escape?_ **

He groans from where he sits, letting his head hang. This, of course, is the last thing he needs. What’s the point of trying to drown your memories with sake when you’re reminded every five seconds of how much you fucked up?

“Fuck off,” Sasuke slurs, running a hand through his messy hair before pulling at a lock. A nervous habit he’s gotten into over the years. “You don’t understand. You didn’t feel what I felt. I was in literal shock.”

Deep down, though, he knows that isn’t an excuse. Not for someone like him, who wants nothing more than to murder that damn angel, to stop the madness and to move on with his life without any more regrets.

**_See? You agree with us. You wasted a precious opportunity._ ** One of the snakes hisses. Ugh, he forgot that they could read his mind.

“Even if I  _ had  _ met him under different circumstances, what could I have done?” Sasuke barks. “Tokyo isn’t like some small town in the mountains. There were people around, in broad daylight, and I had no plan.”

**_You should at least remember his name,_ ** the snake reasons.

Sasuke can’t help but seethe, getting off of the bar stool and stomping his way in no real direction. Anything to get away from that snake on the table.

“Do you think I know his name?!” He exclaims, turning to face the snake from the distance between them. “They don’t have names in heaven! We only have titles; just a piece of identity we could latch onto. I only know him as The Judge, as he probably knows me as The Heretic.”

For once, the snake doesn’t hiss a retort at him, only glaring at him with cold, red eyes. 

“They are on his side.” Sasuke says, walking over to the stereo where soft jazz music plays, only to turn it up a bit. “Of course angels would protect each other, out of obligation. Getting to him won’t be easy… but challenges will make the victory the more tasteful.”

“That’s the spirit.” A voice says. He breathes in, not bothering to turn around.

Unwanted visitors. You hate them. You want to hit them with a broom. You want to yell at them to get the fuck out of your house before you call the cops.

Unfortunately, Sasuke can do none of that. In the late, late hours of the night, the portal between this world he’s in and the next opens, inviting all sorts of fiends. One just happens to be it.

He can hear heels click against the floor, echoing throughout the apartment. Suddenly, the temperature becomes too hot, too dry. Sasuke has to wipe his nose from the blood that spills out of it.

“Angel.” 

For a moment, Sasuke closes his eyes, pretending that It’s not there. The nickname only makes it worse, his teeth grinding together. But he knows better than to avoid It for long, tonguing his cheek before turning to face the entity behind him.

Black smoke radiates off of its slim fit body. A handsome face, a neat suit, hideous laced boots. Its hair is slicked back, sunglasses covering its eyes.

“If it isn’t Satan itself.” Sasuke says, eyes narrowed as he crosses his arms. He can feel how the floor heats up, no doubt the effects of the CEO from hell. At least, that’s what he can compare It to. The snakes have coiled around Its body; fucking snitches, they are. “Nice skin. Whose soul did you possess this time?”

“Snarky as ever, I see.” It says. Sasuke can tell It’s obviously amused (which is kind of annoying, honestly). It looks down at itself, messing with the lapels of the suit. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Angel. It’s been a few hundred years.”

Sasuke tches, looking over in some other direction. His day was shitty, he knows. But to think that his night would be just as bad is just a cruel joke from the stars. “Quit calling me that. It’s horrible.”

“Gives me more of a reason to.” It says, and he can hear the grin in its voice. It carries itself with grace as it walks over, getting all up in Sasuke’s personal bubble. “A kind sap let me borrow this. I quite like the look. Perhaps I should kill him to keep it.”

“Do whatever you want.” Sasuke says curtly, not even looking as he walks toward the bar again, sitting on the stool. There’s four of them, he notices. And yet, his only company right now is just Satan and his reptile henchmen. He decides to take another swig from the good ol’ bottle.

For a moment, there’s just silence. It seems like silence is very fond of Sasuke. Nothing but soft jazz on the second to lowest volume setting plays before Sasuke takes another shot.

“You let yourself loose, I see. Your horns seem to have darkened since the last time I saw you.” It says. “Is it because you let him go?”

The glass stops at his lips for a moment, his mind pulling a blank.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He hears. Footsteps approach him from behind, and hands place themselves on his shoulders, massaging them. But he knows that it’s no act of comfort; after all, his skin is as cold as ice, and Its hands feel like flaming iron, creating an ugly sensation.

“Now, now, Angel. We all make mistakes.” It says, making Sasuke’s brows furrow as he continues to drink the sake, the burn more nasty than the last. “In fact, you should thank me for being so understanding, unlike your guardians. You’ll have more chances.”

“How are you sure?” Sasuke asks, with a bit more venom and yes, it’s intentional. “What, are you going to do some of your dark magic or something to lead me to him? I’m pretty sure you told me that wasn’t possible.”

“That’s true. However, there’s another force you should consider; and that’s fate itself. Neither those from heaven or hell can control such a thing.” It says, tone reassuring. It almost makes Sasuke feel relieved, but again, he knows better.

“That’s corny.”

“It happens.”

A crash from the streets catches both their attentions, with the Devil finally backing away.

“Break time’s over.” It says. “I’m glad we talked, Angel. I look forward to seeing you again.”

No response comes from Sasuke as the being disappears in thin smoke. His snakes drop to the ground, ready to slither their way up Sasuke’s leg before he grabs them both, conjuring up a cage to throw them in and closing the lid despite the protesting.

“You guys have done enough for today, you traitors.” Sasuke spits, making the cage levitate only to drop it on the second floor, satisfied when he hears yelps. “You’re sleeping up there tonight.”

After a few late night movies and surfing the internet, Sasuke decides to shut everything down when the clock hits 5 in the bloody morning, walking towards his bedroom and immediately collapsing on his bed, body still so heavy.

It doesn’t actually matter at all when he goes to bed. He hasn’t slept once in his years of existence. He’s too afraid to start now.

His thoughts run wild, and yet he doesn’t pay any attention to them, only grateful for the noise as he waits for morning light to pour in from the windows.

He ends up remembering him anyway.


End file.
